Lawn Tennis for Ladies Part 4

Miss D.K. Dougla.s.s Scratch

Mrs. Sterry 1/6 Mrs. Hillyard 1/6 Miss C.M. Wilson 1/6

Miss Thomson 2/6 Miss Morton 2/6

Miss W. Longhurst 3/6 Miss V. Pinckney 3/6 Miss Greene 3/6 Miss Lane 3/6 Mrs. Greville 4/6 Miss Stawell Brown 4/6 Mrs. Winch 4/6 Miss Garfit 5/6 Miss Kendal 5/6 Miss D. Boothby 5/6 Miss M. Coles 5/6 Miss A. Ransome 5/6 Miss E. Longhurst 15 Miss Squire 15 Miss Eastlake Smith 15 Miss Paterson 15 Miss Tootell 15

In 1905 I paid my first visit to the South of France. I was unlucky enough to sprain my wrist; but in spite of this mishap, the change of conditions, courts, and surroundings were all so novel that I thoroughly enjoyed my visit. The courts at the Beau Site, Cannes, are absolutely perfect, both as regards surface and background; and when one has got used to the different bound of the ball and the rather trying glare of the sun, one could not wish for better conditions for good tennis. Many a famous match has been fought out on these courts; and situated as they are in the beautiful grounds of the Hotel Beau Site, where most of the players stay, the environment is ideal. I was only able to play in the Monte Carlo tournament, after a few days' practice on the Beau Site courts, for it was just at the start of the Nice tournament that the accident to my wrist occurred. It was very disappointing to default after coming so far to take part in these tournaments. Several months elapsed before I could use my wrist again, and I was not able to play in any of the tournaments before I defended my t.i.tle at Wimbledon.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE CHALLENGE ROUND AT WIMBLEDON, 1905: MISS SUTTON (AMERICA) _v_. MISS D.K. DOUGLa.s.s]

This year Miss May Sutton, the American lady champion, paid her first visit to England, and carried all before her, winning the champions.h.i.+p of England and many other events, all without the loss of a single set--truly a wonderful performance. If any one had pluck it was Miss Sutton. To come to a strange country, practically friendless (Miss Sutton made many friends over here, but she came over alone), and to play and defeat one after another of the best players in this country, was a feat which filled us all with unbounded admiration.

[Ill.u.s.tration: MOTOR CARS WAITING OUTSIDE THE ALL-ENGLAND GROUND AT WIMBLEDON DURING THE LADIES CHALLENGE ROUND, 1906]

I have played Miss Sutton five times, losing three and winning two of the matches. Of the three matches I lost, two were at Wimbledon, in the challenge rounds of 1905 and 1907, and the third at Beckenham in the challenge round of 1907. My two victories were both gained in 1906, in the challenge rounds at Liverpool and Wimbledon. Certainly the most exciting match I have ever played, and the one that gave me the most pleasure to win, was my match at Wimbledon against Miss Sutton in 1906.

The match itself was not exactly enjoyable--the strain was too great; so much seemed to depend upon me, both for my own reputation, and that of my country. When Mr. Palmer, secretary of the All England Club, escorted us into the centre court and left us, with a word of encouragement in my ear, I felt helpless and dest.i.tute. You cannot realize what it means to face four thousand people and know that so much depends on your own exertions and coolness. Miss Sutton, I think, must have felt this loneliness in a still greater degree, for she was away from her country, her own people and friends. I have never had such a craving to speak to some one as I had in this match--just one friendly word to tell me whether I was playing the right sort of game or not. I confess my feelings were very strung up.

I remember in the second set, when Miss Sutton led at three games to love, I said to the umpire as we crossed over, "I wonder, have I gone off, or is she playing much better?" But, of course, his face was like a mask; he didn't vouchsafe a word. Not that I expected him to speak, but I felt I simply must say something to some one. He told me afterwards he wanted to say, "I don't know; but stick to it whatever happens!"

Concentration on the game in this match was terribly difficult, as the crowd was so huge and seemed so excited; it was almost impossible to forget the people and lose yourself in the game. I can quite well remember a dispute going on in the open stand for quite a long time during the first set. I think a lady would not put down her sunshade; there was quite a commotion about it. And then people near would shout advice to me, or scream out, "It's over! Run!" This happened two or three times; and although I knew they were trying to help me, which in itself was cheering and encouraging, it was very distracting and disconcerting. But after some time I lost it all, and became engrossed in the game. I think in 1907 Miss Sutton was much steadier and played a better all-round game, but I do not think she had quite the same terrific fore-hand drive as in the first two years she was over here.

Her strokes were safer perhaps, but not so formidable and powerful.

[Ill.u.s.tration: WIMBLEDON, 1906: MISS DOUGLa.s.s (NOW MRS. LAMBERT CHAMBERS) WRESTING THE CHAMPIONs.h.i.+P FROM MISS SUTTON, THE HOLDER.]

One of the great charms of playing in various tournaments is the means it affords of visiting all the different towns and countries. It may involve considerable travelling and expense, but the touring abroad is both an education and a delight. Monte Carlo, Nice, Cannes, Homburg, Baden-Baden and Dinard, all bring the pleasantest reminiscences. Many of us have travelled about together, which is the jolliest way of doing the tournaments. I remember one most enjoyable trip, when Miss Lowther motored the Hillyards and myself through Germany--an ideal way of "doing" tournaments! The place at which a meeting is held, its surroundings, also the facilities it offers for amus.e.m.e.nt in the evening after your day's tennis is over, add to the enjoyment and make a material difference. It will always be one of my chief delights, in thinking of my tennis career, to remember the hospitality and many courtesies I have everywhere received, and the many friends I have made, who I trust will remain friends long after my tennis is a thing of the past.

It is extraordinary how nave the general public sometimes are. People will watch first-cla.s.s tennis, sitting for hours together perhaps in great discomfort, and yet display a lamentable want of knowledge about the game. In fact, to many its object is a mystery! This seems hardly possible, but it is quite true. I once overheard a lady who was watching a match in the centre court at Wimbledon remark, "There, that's the very first time that man has. .h.i.t the net with the ball, and he has had hundreds of tries!" I thought the man mentioned must be playing pretty good tennis! One really wonders why these onlookers spend so much time round a court, or where the pleasure can come in for them.

At a garden party not so very long ago where tennis was on the programme, the visitors, arriving on the court, found one solitary ball, tied round with a long piece of string, the other end being attached to the net. To a natural inquiry the hostess replied, "Oh, they lost so many b.a.l.l.s in the shrubbery last year, I really couldn't afford it, and thought of this plan. It has been most successful. This ball has lasted for ages!" Another lady at Eastbourne, whom I had noticed because she never left her seat, bringing her lunch with her so as not to lose a moment's play, asked me at the end of the week, while watching a double, whether the partners were side by side or opposite, as in bridge!

One of the most rooted mistakes in the public mind is that the first-cla.s.s player is a professional. Many times people have said to me, "You must be making quite a nice bit of pocket-money from your tennis."

"Making?" I say. "Spending, you mean!"--which always makes them stare in amazement. This fallacy annoys me very much, and is, I find, very common. Let me take the opportunity here of pointing out that there are no professional lawn tennis players excepting a few coaches at Queen's Club, London, and at some of the clubs abroad; these men, of course, cannot compete in open tournaments.

CHAPTER VII

MY MOST MEMORABLE MATCH (BY LEADING PLAYERS)

_The following contributions, in response to a request for some account of their most noteworthy encounter on court, have been kindly furnished for this volume by leading lady players._

MRS. G.W. HILLYARD

(_Champion_, 1886, 1889, 1894, 1897, 1899, 1900)

One of the most exciting matches I remember was the final for the Champions.h.i.+p at Wimbledon, played on the centre court on July 6, 1889, between Miss Rice and me. I started very nervously, as Miss Rice had given me rather a fright in the Irish Champions.h.i.+p the month before, when she appeared in Dublin as a "dark horse." On that occasion I had only sc.r.a.ped through 7/5, 7/5. I began the match at Wimbledon by serving a double fault, and lost several games by doing the same thing in the first set. My length was awful, and Miss Rice was playing well from the start. She had a very fine fore-hand drive, but, like myself, a bad back-hand. She led at 3 games to 1, and took the first set at 6/4.

In the second set I regained my confidence a little, winning three love games out of the first four; but Miss Rice won the next four games in succession, the score being called 5/3 and 40/15 against me. At this point, in my despair, I said to Mr. Chipp, who was umpiring the match, "What _can_ I do?" His grim answer was, "Play better, I should think." I then fully realized that I had not been playing my best game, and that to win I must hit harder. This I did, with the result that my length improved and I s.n.a.t.c.hed this game from the fire--although Miss Rice was three times within a stroke of the match--and I eventually won the set at 8/6.

The last set was well fought out, for, although I began well and led at 3/1, Miss Rice won the next three games in succession and reached 40/30 in the following game. This was her last effort, as I ran out at 6/4, winning the Champions.h.i.+p for the second time. I think it was one of the closest matches I ever played, and I see by _Pastime_ that I only won 18 games to her 16, and 110 strokes to her 100, and I felt I was most lucky to win at all.

[Signature: Blanche Hillyard]

MRS. STERRY

(_Champion_, 1895, 1896, 1898, 1901, 1908)

Of course it goes without saying that my most memorable and exciting matches will all be those in which I have excelled or been the most distinguished person at the immediate moment! Let me just say that I am not going to give details of any match, as that is beyond my power and, I a.s.sume, of little interest to the reader.

Winning my first champions.h.i.+p of the Ealing Lawn Tennis Club at the age of 14 was a very important moment in my life. How well I remember, bedecked by my proud mother in my best clothes, running off to the Club on the Sat.u.r.day afternoon to play in the final without a vestige of nerve (would that I had none now!), and winning--that was the first really important match of my life.

Another great game will always be imprinted on my memory, and that was in 1894, the first year that the late Mr. H.S. Mahony and I won the All England Mixed Champions.h.i.+p. We beat Mrs. Hillyard and Mr. W. Baddeley in the final. The excitement of the onlookers was intense, and never shall I forget the overpowering sensation I felt as we walked, after our win, past the Aigburth Cricket Ground Stand, packed to its limit. How the people clapped and cheered us! It was tremendous.

[Ill.u.s.tration: MRS. HILLYARD]

[Ill.u.s.tration: MRS. STERRY]

[Ill.u.s.tration: MISS V.M. PINCKNEY]

[Ill.u.s.tration: MISS D. BOOTHBY]

Another memory--the year 1895. Certainly I must be honest and say it wasn't exactly a good champions.h.i.+p win, for Miss Dodd, Mrs. Hillyard, and Miss Martin were all standing out. Any of these could have beaten me. Nevertheless it was a delightful feeling to win the blue ribbon of England, especially as my opponent in the final, Miss Jackson, had led 5-love in both sets! By some good fortune I was able to win seven games off the reel in each case.

One more match--in 1907. I had heard a great deal about Miss May Sutton (who made her first appearance in England in 1905) beating everybody without the loss of a set. I had also heard she was a giant of strength, and that the harder one hit the more she liked it. The first time I met her was at Liverpool in 1907--I did not play the previous season. I was determined to introduce unfamiliar tactics, giving her short b.a.l.l.s in order to entice her up to the net. The result was that many of her terrific drives went out, and I think this was primarily the reason why I was the first lady in England to take a set from her. I recollect her telling me, after the match was over, that my game was very different to any other she had ever played, and that she was not anxious to meet me again--remarks I took as a great compliment.

There are scores of games just the reverse of pleasant which are imprinted on my memory, but I am not going to revive them at my own expense, hoping they have been forgotten and forgiven to my account, by any unfortunate partners I have ever let down.

[Signature: Chattie R. Sterry.]

MRS. DURLACHER

_(Doubles Champion,_ 1899; _Mixed Doubles Champion of Ireland, 1898, 1901, 1902)_

A match that remains in my memory perhaps more than any other was the final of the Irish Champions.h.i.+p Singles at Dublin in 1902, when Miss Martin and I met and had a long struggle for supremacy. At one time it really seemed as if I must win this match, as I led at 5 games to 1 and was within a stroke of the match. But I could not make that one point.

Once when I had the advantage and only wanted an ace to win the match, one of my returns ran along the top of the net, and then, unfortunately for me, dropped my side. Miss Martin stuck to her guns persistently and eventually pulled the match out of the fire, winning the next six games straight off and thus becoming Irish Champion for 1902. It was very disappointing to lose after being so near victory. The score in Mis Martin's favour was 6/8, 6/4, 7/5.

[Signature: Ruth Durlacher]

MISS V.M. PINCKNEY

_(Champion of London, 1907, 1908)_

In recalling the most remarkable lawn tennis match that I have ever played, I do not think I can do better than give the Open Mixed Double semi-final that took place on the final day of the Kent Champions.h.i.+p Meeting at Beckenham on June 1, 1908. Mr. Roper Barrett and I met Mr.